213hoops.com
Clippers Fall to Warriors 91-90 in First Preseason Game
I was not planning on writing a recap about this game, but I had some thoughts I wanted to get down, so here goes.
Notes
Starting Unit: Ty Lue ran out a somewhat unexpected starting unit of James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norm Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac. Now, Kawhi Leonard was out with his knee, and Nic Batum did not play, so it’s hard to draw too much from it. However, Dunn getting the nod over Terance Mann was interesting, and while Dunn was very quiet on offense, his defense was as fantastic as expected. Harden and Zu both looked great, and Norm was sharp. Honestly, while there were still some very sloppy plays and bad turnovers, I thought it was an intriguing (if tiny) lineup. I can’t really see this being a starting group, but it might be something to watch for.
The Second Unit: Tonight, the second unit was Bones Hyland, Kevin Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Kobe Brown, and Kai Jones. And, honestly, it was rough. Hyland and Porter Jr. have some differing strengths (Bones is a better passer and long-range shooter, Porter a better pure scorer) but both have a tendency to overdribble and make bad decisions, and having both of them out there made the offense unpleasant to watch. Notably, the Bones-only third unit in the third quarter was much better and flowed more on offense. I just don’t think those two can play together. Brown played 27 minutes, the most of any Clipper by far, but did most of his damage in the 4th quarter. Terance did not stand out much but this is not his kind of game.
Little Amir: Amir Coffey did not play in the first half during the Clippers’ “real” rotations, which was interesting. There might not be too, too much to take from that, especially this early in preseason, but it was definitely notable.
Big Trouble: Kai Jones’ box score – 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 22 minutes – ended up looking pretty good. But I was very underwhelmed by him in this game. He plays very hard, which is nice, and the athleticism is clearly present. But he’s sloppy on the glass, his screens barely make contact, and his offensive skills outside of dunking are limited. It’s just one game and he’s barely played in a year, but this was not an encouraging outing for me.
Jordan Miller Impresses: Jordan Miller’s box score does not stand out – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 18 minutes – but I thought his defense was fantastic and he showed some of the same downhill abilities that made him such a threat in Summer League. Just like with Kobe Brown, the outside shots will have to fall sooner or later if he’s going to stick in an NBA rotation, but the defense, transition scoring, and catch-and-go abilities make him someone I’d like to see the Clippers actually play this year.
Clippers Fall to Warriors 91-90 in First Preseason Game
Robert Flom